Sa La Thai - Lancaster's Newest Thai Restaurant

  Today, I caught wind of a new Thai restaurant that opened its doors here in Lancaster, PA. I made my way to Sa La Thai this afternoon to grab lunch. Sa La Thai is located in downtown Lancaster, PA at 337-339 N. Queen St that was formerly occupied by JM Bistro.

  The interior was warmly lit and decorated with Thai tapestries on the walls. The layout of the restaurant is the same as it had been with the previous establishments at this location. I was shown to my table and given two menus, one featuring their lunch specials and also their full menu.

  Their lunch special features three courses: soup, salad or appetizer, and entrée. Entrées can be prepared with choice of tofu or vegetables, mock duck, chicken/pork/beef, or seafood. Depending on what your choice is determines the price you pay. The vegetables/tofu are the cheapest and the seafood the most expensive. Sa La Thai offers many choices from each course accompanied by descriptions to help the diner know what he/she is ordering. Amongst the entrées are noodle dishes, traditional dishes, and specialty dishes. While the specialty dishes are available as choices they mostly cost a little more than the standard lunch special. The lunch special is available between 10:30 am – 3:00 pm Monday through Saturday and the same prices are also available as an early bird dinner special between 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm. It will cost approximately $9-12 per person depending on what you order.

  For lunch I chose the Lemon Grass Soup, Crab Dumplings, and Green Curry with Chicken. The soup was fresh and had bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, scallions, basil leaves, and chicken. The broth was seasoned well and the lime was balanced well in the mix. Sa La Thai offers both Crab Rangoons and Crab Dumplings. The differences between the two are that the rangoon has imitation crabmeat and is fried whereas the dumpling is steamed and features fresh crabmeat. The dumplings were served on a bed of lettuce with a garlic-soy dipping sauce. Garnish included fried shallots and a carrot that was carved to resemble a blossom. The crab was delicately flavored and went well with the dipping sauce. Finally, the Green Curry arrived and had chicken, bell peppers, string beans, and Thai basil served with a side of jasmine rice. The green curry was adequately hot and not overbearing, although I know that Sa La Thai has reduced their spiciness levels to accommodate for an American audience. The sauce was seasoned and spiced well. The size of the entrée was smaller than I had expected but the fact that this was a three-course lunch instead of a two-course lunch made up for this. Overall, everything was delicious and prepared fresh.

Steamed Crab Dumplings with Garlic-Soy Dipping Sauce

  Sa La Thai is a family operated venture who originated from Central Thailand in the Bangkok area. They offer dine-in, takeout, catering, and delivery within a 3 mile radius. Sa La Thai is also BYOB-friendly. I reviewed their full menu while eating and noticed some intriguing dishes that I would like to try. I found it nice that they offered mock duck, an ingredient that is not commonly found in Lancaster eateries, while also offering real duck on their specialties menu. You can also find lamb and even alligator on their menu, which certainly caught my interest.

  Sa La Thai opened its door this past Sunday 11/14/10 and have so far been well received. I look forward to returning to sample some of their other dishes and would also encourage readers to give them a try as well. They are located on the 300 block of N. Queen St in downtown Lancaster, PA in the art/antique district and this location should serve them well on First Fridays when many people from out-of-town come into the city to shop, dine, and browse the local art galleries and antique shops. The only obstacle someone may experience is readily available parking. There is a small parking lot right before you get to the restaurant in addition to street parking, but on a busy night (i.e. First Friday) you may be subject to parking a block or more away. The trip is worth it though. As one last side note, credit cards can only be used for purchases $15 or more. If eating alone during their lunch special or early bird dinner special make sure you have cash!



Sa La Thai
337-339 N. Queen St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 509-4850

They do not have a website yet but plan to in the future.

Wu's Garden

Today I visited Wu’s Garden located in Leola, PA for lunch formerly occupied by Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant and Buffet. I had heard about Wu’s Garden opening at this location but this was my first chance to give them a try, as I considered what to eat for lunch while being in the area at the time.

I walked in to a clean and fresh scented dining room and was quickly greeted and seated. I was given a menu and the hostess quickly pointed out the lunch special section of the menu. She asked what I would like to drink and I requested water (my usual). My water was fetched promptly and was served in a goblet style glass with ice.

The menu consisted primarily of typical Chinese dishes but also featured a Thai section as well as some intermittent Japanese appetizers and Udon. Kim Chee also made an appearance on the roster. All of the lunch specials featured on the menu were reasonably priced under $7.00 and offered the entrée served with fried rice and choice of soup or soda. I decided to choose Chicken with Garlic Sauce as I always do when trying Chinese restaurants for the first time. This has always been my “go-to” dish that I first base my Chinese restaurant comparisons on. I requested to have vegetable fried rice instead of pork fried rice and this was accommodated for. Instead of a soda I chose Hot and Sour Soup. Before making this choice though I asked if all the soups they listed on their menu were available choices and was told that the only soups that could be chosen with the lunch special were Egg Drop, Wonton, or Hot and Sour.

The waitress shuffled off to the kitchen to place the order and returned with a bowl of crispy fried noodles and duck sauce for dipping. Shortly thereafter my soup arrived. The soup seemed a little too congealed to me but not unbearable and could have certainly been much worse. The good thing though, was that the soup was actually HOT AND SOUR!!! I can’t tell you how many times I have had this soup at other establishments where neither of these flavor profiles could be tasted. I was pleased about this. Before I could finish my soup the rest of the meal arrived on a large rectangular white plate. Garlic wafted through the air and put a smile on my face as it triggered a salivatory response; I couldn’t wait to dig in. The Chicken with Garlic Sauce was good and ginger also announced its presence in each bite. The vegetable fried rice was slightly dry and bland but this was quickly remedied with a splash of soy sauce. Mixing some of the Garlic Sauce into the rice made a tasteful combination as well.

Throughout my dining experience I was always approached with a cheery smile. The dining room was clean and the air was fresh. Water refills were timely and the food was also timed right, for the most part. The food was good and the prices for lunch specials attractive. A fortune cookie dessert accompanied my bill and the fortune read: You will be successful in love. I thought about this and related it to my love for food and drink, dining, and sharing experiences with others. All motives for creating this blog.

I do plan on returning to Wu’s Garden next time I am in the Leola area and would encourage you to do the same. They have only been open for close to two months at this point but with tasty food, attractive prices and friendly service they should be given consideration. Takeout is also available.

FYI: Wu's Garden has coupons available in Clipper Magazine and also at this link:
http://couponclipper.com/loc/WU-S-GARDEN

Wu’s Garden
354 W. Main St.
Leola, PA 17540
(717) 656-4388

Aromas Del Sur

  On Friday October 22, 2010 I had the opportunity to visit a new Colombian establishment in Ephrata, PA called Aromas Del Sur, literally translating to "aromas of the south".  The space was previously occupied by an establishment named The Edgewater.

  I was told about this new restaurant by a coworker earlier in the week and had also confirmed it's existence with another acquaintance of Colombian descent.  I knew that I had to make my way over there as I try to always be one of the first to experience new eateries in the area.  Honestly,  I was slightly disappointed in myself that I had not known about the opening of Aroma Del Sur sooner.

  Upon arrival to Aromas Del Sur, I noticed their sign out front labeled themselves as a"Spanish food" establishment but the colors they chose for their sign and building clearly mimicked the national colors of the Colombian flag (red, blue and yellow).  I questioned why they would label themselves as "Spanish" but then came to the assumption that this was possibly a marketing tactic.  Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has a reputation nationally as being "The Home of the Amish" and many do not realize that a city also exists here.  While Lancaster County is the home of many Amish and different sects of Mennonites, the city itself has a high Latino population, primarily of Puerto Rican descent.  I've noticed in my time and experience here that the Puerto Rican population here commonly refers to themselves and their cuisine as "Spanish".  I believe that Aroma Del Sur should pronounce their origin but I also understand their strategy, especially in an area of Lancaster County removed from the city like Ephrata.

  I entered the restaurant and found a few tables occupied with patrons.  I was quickly seated and given a menu to peruse.  The tables were adequately spaced and the interior was dim.  I noticed some of the traditional Colombian dishes that I expected such as Bandeja Paisa and Chicharrones along with other national favorites.  I was approached by the waitress who was very friendly and helpful regarding questions I had about the menu and in selecting my meal choices.  Ultimately, I chose their Carne Asada with an Empanada and Moro as my beverage.  The waitress helped me make my final decision on the Moro (blackberry juice) and offered it either blended with milk or water, to which she suggested the milk combination.  I chose this and received a blackberry milkshake essentially which was delicious.  My empanada (fried turnover) arrived with an accompanying salsa.  The empanada was perfectly fried but was smaller than expected.  The salsa served to be a pleasant addition the empanada and was not too hot, at least to my liking.  My entree arrived shortly thereafter and I noted their swiftness to the waitress.  The arrival of my entree did not overlap with my time consuming my appetizer, therefore not making me feel 'rushed' to complete my meal and get out.  The Carne Asada entree came served in two dishes.  The main dish held the Carne Asada, a flattened steak that was marinated and grilled, along with some cole slaw.  The cole slaw was rustic and featured lime juice with cilantro in its blend that asserted its brightness.  The second dish contained white rice and beans with sauce.  The salsa that was served with my empanada proved to be an excellent addition to the Carne Asada and I consumed the whole steak using this condiment.

  Aromas Del Sur is a new Colombian restaurant located in Ephrata, PA and has only been open approximately three weeks at this point.  They have not yet held their Grand Opening as they are still testing the waters with their dishes.  The restaurant is a collaboration between three families and the wait staff are helpful and friendly.  As I neared the completion of my meal I was approached by one of the owners to check on my satisfaction which made me feel more valued as a customer.  Their food was prepared fresh and was tasty.  Their prices were very reasonable as well and a good value.  Aromas Del Sur is one of two Colombian restaurants in Lancaster County and I certainly plan on returning.  Ephrata, PA does not have much ethnic food so this place definitely stands out in that respect.  My only concern is the demographics of that area affecting the success of the restaurant but I encourage anyone who would like to try Colombian cuisine to visit Aromas Del Sur.  Takeout is also available.      

Aromas Del Sur
358 S. State St.
Ephrata, PA 17522